


Fiducia

by balimaria



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom
Genre: And Finally I Can Say, Angst, Angst and Feels, Comfort, Complete, Gen, I Broke Warriors, I REGRET NOTHING, People Actually Talking About Their Feelings, People Very Much Repressing Their Feelings, Seriously This Is Super Angsty, What Have I Done, all aboard the pain train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2020-07-30 14:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20098597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/balimaria/pseuds/balimaria
Summary: It seems the Links were wrong to trust Warriors as much as they did.Edit 6/17/20: Fixed some formatting issues





	1. Chapter 1

Wind's Hyrule, or 'the Great Sea' as he called it, was vast, but was not lonely in the way that Wild's was, or wrought by destruction as Hyrule's was. Its many islands brought a sense of quaint peace- and none more so than Outset.

Wind has been ecstatic when they'd switched worlds. He had whooped in joy, bringing his grandmother and sister rushing out of their home for "I missed you's" and "welcome home's."  
They had fed well. Wind's grandma had insisted on making them all eat seconds as well. They'd laughed and told stories of their travels, all while conspicuously leaving out the personal details.

Now the cloudless sky grew pink with dusk. The Links, sans Warriors and Legend (who were still down at the beach, talking to someone named Orca) had set up camp in the forest at the top of the island. Wind's grandmother had been horrified when they said they were fine sleeping in the woods, but there hadn't been any other option. There was simply no way they could all fit in Wind's house.  
And it was fine. The woods were protected from the breeze by tall cliffs, and the trees provided ample shelter from any storms that may come by. They'd found the nicest location they could and set down their things. Wild lit a fire and browsed his slate for an evening snack.

They had all laughed around the campfire, Sky and Time played a duet for them. Wind had recounted tales of his expeditions in New Hyrule. Though now it was mostly silent. Warriors and Legend were still down at the beach, probably bickering. Four was polishing his sword. Hyrule was leaning against a tree, eyes closed. The hot coals provided a warm glow against the ever-dimming sky.  
Twilight muttered something about taking first watch. He stood and began to walk away from camp…

...and promptly ran right into a breathless Legend. Twilight scowled, but Legend deftly ignored the Ordonian. He had a mischievous grin plastered on his face, and was holding something behind his back.  
"Guys," he began. "You won't believe what I just managed to steal."

Time chuckled. "Classic Legend."

Despite Time's nonchalance, everyone's curiosity had been piqued.

"What is it?" Sky queried after a moment's pause.

Legend's grin grew wider. With a dramatic flourish, he pulled a small object from behind his back. It looked pretty boring, honestly.

Twilight stepped forward to stand next to Legend. "I'm afraid I don't follow," he said. Everyone else's expressions told the same story.

Legend scoffed, and lowered the apparently-amazing-but-also-kinda-boring notebook. But his grin soon returned, this time with a more snarky undertone.  
"It's Warriors' notebook. And possibly-" once more he flourished the notebook, "-his diary."

Wind gasped, his earlier confusion all but forgotten. Wild had an amused smile on his face. "Is it really?" he asked. "How did you get it from him?"

Legend chuckled, and took a seat by the campfire. The glowing coals lit the contours of his face as he settled down to tell his story. Wind leaned in to listen, his excitement evident.

"Well," Legend began. "The story itself is not too exciting, I'm afraid. Warriors was distracted talking to that Orca guy. It was the perfect chance, so-" he held up the notebook, "-I took this!"  
Legend stood. "But that's just the boring part. What's really exciting… is what's inside of it."

Wind grinned. "Well, read it! C'mon!" He insisted

Legend sighed good-naturedly. "Oh Wind, ever the impatient one. Never fear! Your wish shall be granted."

Legend stood dramatically, journal in hand. Then, without further ado, he flipped it open to the first page. The camp sat in rapt silence, even the usually responsible of them wanted to know what the captain thought. But the frown that had suddenly alighted Legend's face told them such a thing would be harder than they first thought.

"What's wrong, vet?" Twilight questioned.

Legend huffed and set the journal on his lap. "It's not written in my Hylian."

Wind scowled and leaned away from the fire. "That's a little disappointing."

Legend nodded. "See if any of you can make something of it, eh?"

Like clockwork, Legend passed the journal around the camp. Most of them couldn't figure out the unfamiliar writing, but sometimes someone could make out a word or two, like 'strong' or 'blind'. But a few words here and there had them no closer to deciphering the writing.

Legend looked about to give in before an idea came to him. He chuckled, bringing the group's attention back to him. Grabbing his pack, he began to shuffle around. The other Links watched as the blond pulled out a bright green book.

"What's that?" Wild asked.

"This, my friend, is the Book of Mudora," Legend replied. "Hyrule, hand me the journal. I'm gonna see what the captain has to say if I need to translate this whole thing."

Not another word was said as Hyrule passed Legend the journal. He had already pulled out paper, ink, and quill, and had the book open beside him. The sound of the feather tip against parchment pervaded the camp, only accompanied by the fire crackling and the whispering of the trees.

As the minutes wore on, the Link's interest began to drift away from the madly scribbling Hero of Legend. Time got out a rag and started to polish his armour. Four began to settle into his bedroll. Sky and Hyrule had struck up a conversation about something or another. Even Wind was lazily tracing pictures in the dirt.

None of them noticed as Legend's expression slowly descended from concentration, to shock, to horror, and finally, to unbridled fury. None of them noticed how hard he was gripping the quill, or that this was already his third one, the first two lying broken on the dirt.

None of them noticed when he finally closed the green book, and only stared at the loose pages upon his lap with unmatched disgust.  
They only noticed when he stared up to the distant stars, his eyes knowing nothing but betrayal, and cursed the gods for all they had done.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find out what Legend is so upset about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only gets worse from here >:)

Everyone reacted immediately. Wind was the first to rush to Legend’s side, followed closely by Hyrule and Time. Everyone else remained seated, though all of them visibly shocked. 

Hesitantly, Time began to question Legend. “What-”  
He was cut off when the stack of translated papers were shoved haphazardly into his arms. “Read them,” was all Legend said.

After staring at the furious blond for a few moments, Time stood. He shuffled the papers awkwardly, glanced around, then began to read. The camp watched on in silence.

“Legend: His items are his most valuable weapon. Once he is weakened, separate him from his bag. Especially his magic rods, that will cripple him. But always keep an eye out, you never know what tricks he might be hiding. He is experienced. Always be prepared.”

Time stopped reading and stared. Everyone else did too. Not a sound was made, even the breeze seemed to hold its breath.

“Did…”  
Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. Wind cleared his throat, voice raspy. “Did Warriors really write that?” he finished.

No one answered. No one needed too.

“There’s more,” Legend growled. “_Lots_ more. Keep reading.”

Time coughed into his hand, then looked back down at the papers. His voice rang out like a bell as he began to read once more.

“Sky-”

He hesitated. It was harder to speak now that they knew what was coming.

“Sky,” he said more firmly. “Far too trusting. Deception is key. If that's impossible, make sure he can't get another weapon. The sword won't let him hurt any of her former masters, but he is too good of a swordsman to take on one-on-one. Keep him talking, then strike when the time is right.”

As if on cue, everyone’s heads swiveled to look at Sky. The first hero looked… devastated. There was no other way to describe it. Mouth parted, eyes wide. He didn’t seem to see everyone staring at him.

Obviously trying not to look at the effect his words had had on Sky, Time continued to speak.

“Wild: Separate him from the Sheikah Slate at all costs. He is nothing without it. If he does get a hold of a weapon, he is a decent swordsman, but a better archer. Overwhelm him before he has a chance to do anything.”

Wild’s reaction was seemingly minute. But the slight tightness of his lips and the stone in his gaze portrayed something different. His hands strayed to the faintly glowing slate at his hip.

There was a longer gap of silence this time. Time seemed reluctant to continue, not unreasonably. But he did so anyways.

“Twilight: I suspect he's the wolf.” That sentence alone gave Time pause. “That could be a trump card if I need one. He's easily manipulated emotionally. Far too quick to rush to Wild's aid. He is a strong fighter, but he takes too long to plan out an attack. Strike before he has time to think. Don’t fall into a pattern while fighting him, and don’t, under any circumstances, let him team up with Time or Wild.”

Twilight did not bother to hide his anger. His hands were clenched, lips pulled back in a snarl. He glared down at the dirt as if it were Warriors himself.

Once everyone’s attention drifted back to Time, it became clear who was next on Warriors’ list. They let him take his time.  
Eventually, their reader coughed, eyes still locked on the papers. Then he began once more.

“Time: His right eye's blank. Don't know if it’s magic or if he can't see through it at all. Regardless, he usually keeps it shut, so that's his blind side. He is a heavyweight fighter, so he’ll try to overwhelm you. Be swift, and most of all be unpredictable.

“Uhm, and then there’s a footnote,” Time mutters. “It says, ‘I suspect there’s something big he’s not telling us. Incapacitate him before he can reveal it.’”

Time didn’t waste a second. “Could someone else read, please?” he rasped.

It takes a few moments before Legend steps up. “I’ll read the rest.” Time gratefully hands over the papers. “Sorry for shoving that on you,” Legend adds, almost as an afterthought. Time’s response is barely legible. “S’fine.”

Once Legend had returned to his spot, he immediately started where Time left off. His voice felt stronger, harder. His anger very thinly veiled. Legend already knew what was coming. Be it a mercy or a curse, no one knew.

“Four,” Legend began.

The Hero of the Four Sword tensed, awaiting his verdict.

“His sword's his secret weapon. Get it out of his hands before he can do anything. Everything else is predictable. That being said, he is incredibly coordinated. If nothing else is possible, do everything you can to confuse him, then immobilize him.”

Legend did not wait to see Four’s reaction. He plowed on, barely taking a breath between sentences.

“Hyrule: Using too much magic leaves him weak. Drain him if necessary. Thunder is his most powerful spell, but I suspect he has much more up his sleeve. His sword looks powerful, but he doesn’t have any training. Wear him down, then strike.”

Legend hesitates for the first time. “The last entry is about Warriors,” he mutters. “It says ‘ If you're reading this, and something happened to make me betray my team, firstly; I'm sorry. Secondly, distract me- I get too focused on one enemy, and that leaves me vulnerable in the back. I am cocky, too. You can exploit that.”

By now, the embers of the fire has burned themselves out. All there was to light the forest was the stars and moon.

“That’s all it says,” Legend finishes.

“Wait,” called a voice. It was hard to see who in the darkness. “That can’t be it. There’s… I don’t have one.”

Wind, his face ghostly pale (it’s difficult to tell if it’s just the lighting or not), had his hand held in the air, like a schoolchild asking a question.

Legend stutters, at a loss for words. “Uhm, well…”  
He swallows, then picks up Warriors’ original journal. “There’s this.”  
He gestures at a couple scraps of paper still bound to the spine. They were blackened slightly, as if they’d been burned out of the journal instead of ripped.

“It’s good to know he still has some kind of conscience,” somebody hisses. Maybe Twilight, maybe Wild. It didn’t really matter when they’d all been betrayed by the one person they always thought they could trust.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warriors goes back to the camp.

To say Warriors was a fan of swords would be an understatement. Anyone could see that, really. So it wasn’t unexpected when he had immediately gone in search of the swordsman Wind had spoken so highly of. It _was_ unexpected when Legend had come along with him, but he let it slide. Though, Legend hadn’t really seemed to enjoy himself when the swordsman- Orca, as he’d called himself- had toured through his collection, or when he’d walked them through his techniques, so Warriors didn’t really know why he’d come in the first place. But it was no surprise when Legend finally stated that he was going to meet up with the rest of the group, and hastily exited.  
Warriors didn’t mind all that much. It was Legend’s own fault in joining him. And anyways, it was much easier to converse with Orca without him looming over his shoulder.

***

It was later than he expected when he finally said his farewells to the swordsman. But who could blame him? It wasn’t as if anyone in his own group would enjoy such conversation, at least as long as Orca did. And anyways, the older man had seemed _way_ too happy to finally find someone who shared his interests. Something about his brother always yelling at him, or something.

All in all, Warriors felt quite satisfied when he picked up his pack and left for the camp. Though he did have to navigate across an unfamiliar island in the dark, but that was fine. He was experienced. He could handle a couple Chu Chus.

The trees rustled peacefully as Warriors made his way up the forest path. He had never been to an ocean, besides briefly in Wild’s world, but he found he quite enjoyed them. Though maybe it was just because they reminded him of Wind.  
Smiling ever so slightly, Warriors entered the darkened woods.

-

It was silent as he approached the location of the camp. Briefly, he wondered if everyone was already asleep. But that wouldn’t make sense. Normally, at least Wild would be up.  
_Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s been a long journey for all of us. It’s not a big deal if they want to get more sleep._  
With his uncertainties quelled, Warriors pushed past the final layer of brush and into the camp.

-

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d have the courage to show your face again, _hero._”

Warriors frowned. _What…?_

The fire had died, but the moonlight was bright enough to cast the faces of his companions into sharp focus. But… something wasn’t right, he could gather that much from the devastation on Sky’s face, the anger on Twilight’s, the shock on Time’s…

And then his eyes drifted to the center of the clearing, where a small book laid. No, not a book, a journal…

_His_ journal.

And just like that, everything fell into place.

...Or rather, it all broke apart.

-

"So? What? Did you just come back to gloat? Revel in the glory of having us all figured out?"

Legend did not care how the words sounded. He did not care when Warriors' eyes widened in shock. He really didn't. He kept telling it to himself through his own fury, he didn't care _he didn't care._

It was almost a satisfaction to see Warriors stutter like a fish out of water. Almost.

"At a loss for words, _hero?_ I'm hardly surprised, after what you did," he snarled. 

But the words felt empty. Cold. 

He ignored it.

-

"Please, just let me explain."

Twilight felt as if he would boil at Warriors' words. _Explain? As if it were some simple misunderstanding?_

"I think your journal tells us enough, Warriors."

Twilight tried to keep his tone even, but it was so _hard_ when Warriors was just _standing there!_ He desperately wanted the traitor to hide to flee, anything!

Seeing him so… beaten made him look too much like he was still their friend. He wasn't. He couldn't be. 

Twilight tried to ignore it.

-

"I think we should let him talk, it's not like we'll get anywhere yelling at each other."

Had it not been for the suffocating silence, Hyrule would not have been able to hear his own words. He stared at Warriors, spying the grateful glint in his eyes. Hyrule only sighed.

"It's not for you, Warriors. It's for us."

Hyrule did not care to keep watching after that. He stared down at the dirt.

He was angry, of course he was. But he was tired too.

He did his best to ignore it.

-

_Why?_

Time tried to breathe evenly, but _gods_ was it hard. 

_I wasn't prepared for this. Why? Why would he do that?_

It was hard to hear whatever Hyrule was saying when his heart pounded in his ears. Taking another deep breath as quietly as he could, Time tried to calm himself. Hylia forbid he start breaking down in the middle of this…

Time jolted as he realized everyone was looking at him.  
"Time? Do you think we should let him talk?" 

"Oh… yeah, uh, that's fine."

He pursed his lips, trying to keep calm.

_Just try to ignore it._

-

"No."

Sky would _not_ let this happen. He barely heard the noises of surprise as he stood, glaring straight into Warriors' eyes.

"Why should he deserve to tell us anything after what he did?" He snarled. 

Hyrule turned to stare at him. "Sky, I think you're being unreasonable-"

Sky's face was cold as he spoke. "Maybe I am. But I'm tired of being nice to people who don't deserve it."

With that he swung back to glare at Warriors.  
"I think he should go," he spat.

_What if you're wrong?_ his conscious whispered.

The still-bitter part of him hissed back, _I'm not._

...Sky ignored it.

-

_"I say we let him explain himself!"_

_"I, for one, think Sky is right."_

_"Maybe we should just calm down…"_

_"Why the hell should we calm down? Warriors-"_

_"Guys, shush!"_

Four snapped back to attention just as Warriors shouted "wait!"

Four wanted to say something, _anything,_ but the right words evaded him. He was angry, who wouldn't be? But he was also shocked and confused and it all mixed together to make something he didn't recognize.

"Please, let me explain. I promise there's a reason."

With each word Warriors spoke the voices clamoured for his attention. He could feel another headache coming on as the seconds passed…

He gave his best effort to ignore it.

-

"Then let's hear it."

Warriors gave a watery smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thank you, Wild."

Wild could feel Sky's glare boring into him, but chose not to react. It was already hard enough to wrap his head around what Warriors has done, and if there was any chance that there was a forgivable reason for it, Wild would take it.

He wouldn't lose another friend. He _won't-_

But doubt nagged in the corners of his mind.

Wild ignored it.

-

Wind nestled closer to the tree he was leaning against. Emotions flashed through his brain, one after the other, on an endless loop…

It _hurt._

And he was going to do something about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The real angst is coming next chapter ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of something treasured.

_ Don't lose them too. _

Warriors thought he had been prepared for everything. He had watched, analyzed, recorded and encrypted. He was never going to be betrayed again.

...And in doing so, he had done exactly what he had fought so hard against. He'd always known that, in a way, but the reality of it had never quite struck until now.

The feeling clawed at his stomach, digging a deeper and deeper pit for his heart to fall into.

...But he was strong. He was going to fight. He had determination, and most of all a shard of hope.

So he held up his head and locked eyes with his family. 

_ I will not lose you. _

~

"Look," he began. "I know it's not pretty, but it is necessary. I trust you guys, I really do, but if there's even the slightest chance of something happening-" 

A shuffling from the corner of camp caught his eye and cut him off. A wedge of darkness shifted, and…

"What? You mean one of us stabbing you in the back? Do you really think so little of us?"

Wind.

He looked furious.

And it was all directed at  _ him. _

Wind's words cut into him and left him breathless. It was hard to believe that this was the same little brother he had carried upon his shoulders not a day ago.

And, for just a second, Warriors' resolve wavered.

_ Keep your strength, Link. Keep going.  _

_ This isn't the end of things. _

And just like that, he snapped back. "Its happened to me before, and it could happen again. I will not take any more chances."

It was Legend who responded this time, though Wind looked no less infuriated by his words. 

"Really, Warriors?" The blond snarled. "Who do you think is the real traitor here—"

Legend stood and moved so he was face to face with Warriors. "Us—" he thrust a thumb at himself, "who have treated you as an equal and a brother all this time, or you—" he pointed an accusatory finger at Warriors' chest. "Who has kept a book of not only our physical weaknesses, but emotional too? Honestly, how low can you get?"

Warriors knew he should've been hurt by Legend's words, but something had changed inside him. 

His voice was deadly cold as he responded.

"I grew up with the men who betrayed me. We lived in the same barracks, followed the same protocol, went through the same training, we fought side by side for years and they turned on me, they turned on  _ all of us, _ and cost us double the lives the enemy did. If they betrayed me after years of camaraderie, what should make me believe you're different, what assures me I won't wake up with your sword at my neck!"

He was almost screaming by the end of his rant. Something pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he rubbed it away.

To his surprise, Legend looked… defeated. No, not defeated… exhausted.

Legend let out a long sigh through his lips. "I'm not going to argue with you, Warriors. We've done enough of that. If you really think that we'd ever do something like that, then maybe Sky was right about you."

Legend turned and sat back down. He did not look at Warriors, only whispered, "I think you should leave. We don't need you."

_ We don't need you. _

_ Ignore him,  _ his resolve whispered.  _ He's angry, you have to keep going, just keep it up until you can convince them. You are strong- _

But it felt like a lie.

_ We don't need you. _

_ Keep going. _

In a hollow effort to push down the guilt rising in his heart, Warriors raised his head and stared around the camp. The faces of his brethren ranged from downright furious- Twilight, to deathly still- Wild, and beyond. Even Time looked like he might start crying any second.

And Wind…

Wind still stood before him, watching with that silent fury as Legend had made his argument. 

"What, getting cold feet,  _ brother? _ " He hissed.

Maybe it was the venom with which Wind had said the word 'brother', or maybe it was simply coincidence. But that was the moment when Warriors finally snapped.

Tears rushed down his cheeks as it all came pouring out. 

"I killed them all, you know," he said to Wind. "Every. Single. One. All of the traitors in the Hylian army fell to my sword, and there was no time to question it. A country falls apart faster from the inside and if we fall apart then our enemies steamroll us and take the civilians. Had we been better prepared for an insider job we could've saved thousands of men that day and after!"

Warriors' voice cracked on the last line, and he took a shaky breath to calm himself.

It didn't help.

"None of you get to lecture me about trust until you see a man who spent years training you to serve your country point his sword at his nearest compatriot. Wars are won by those who survive. And  _ I survived.  _ I  _ won.  _ But it cost  _ everything. _ "

And faster than he could blink, all his strength was gone.

It was almost torturous to lift his head to stare back at Wind, back at  _ all  _ of them. His brothers. His family.

"Sky really was right about you."

Warriors sucked in a shaky breath. "W-what?"

Wind stepped forward, his face devoid of any emotion. "I  _ said,  _ Sky really was right about you."

Slowly, slowly, Wind paced closer to Warriors. "I have fought countless battles, almost died hundreds of times, and been through more than can be fully explained. All of us have, and that includes you."

Wind straightened to his full height. Although that wasn't much, the boy almost felt taller than Warriors. 

"But you do not see a  _ single one of us _ treat other people as anything less than how they treat us."

Wind's voice had begun to tremble, but from rage or grief, Warriors could not quite tell.

Wind's fists were clenched tight, so that his fingernails dug into the palms of his hands. He continued to speak in that voice that seemed too old for him.

"It is  _ so hard  _ for me to say this, Warriors. But you need to leave."

For the first time, Wind looked down at the darkened grass. "I honest to gods thought of you as a brother. I loved you, so,  _ so  _ much."

Warriors stared, and suddenly Wind stared back. "I still love you, I don't think I'll ever not love you. B-but-"

Something seemed to break inside Wind's eyes in that moment. 

"But I don't think you love us in the same way."

Wind turned around before he could see Warriors' expression fall, fall, fall, right along with his heart.

"I like to think that I'm wrong," the ocean boy whispered. "But in the end it doesn't matter. We can't rely on you like we thought we could. Like  _ I  _ thought we could.

"So please. Just leave."

Warriors did not see how the tears had started to fall down Wind's face. He did not see Hyrule clutch Legend's shoulder like a lifeline. Neither did he see Wild's façade finally break as he sobbed into Twilight's tunic. He did not see it as his family shattered like a mirror with no frame to hold it. For he had already fled down the darkened island, past the silent houses, to where the water eroded away at a dirty beach. 

It was there he collapsed and began to sob.

But there was nobody there to hold him. Only the silent swish of the waves and the cawing of far away seagulls.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter than usual, but no less angsty :)

"Do you think I did the right thing?"

It was meant to sound… casual, he supposed, but it came out as more of a rasp.Wind huddled closer to Sky's side.

Sky, not Warriors.

"Do you think you did?"

Wind huffed, and lifted his face out of Sky's tunic. "Don't do that. You were as angry with him as I was."

Sky bit his lip. "I was… it doesn't matter."

He shifted a little to better look at Wind's face.

"I'll be honest though… I don't know if it was quite the right thing either. But I do know that having him stay would have only hurt us more. One way or the other, we all just need… time to heal. And maybe we'll always need more. Who knows."

Wind didn't quite know how to respond to that, though Sky didn't seem to mind. He pressed his cheek against the first hero's shoulder so that he was looking at the rest of the camp. Everyone was asleep, or at least pretending to sleep.

...Wind doubted any of them could actually get any real rest.

He wondered vaguely if Warriors had been able to, but soon after shoved the thought away. He didn't want to think about what had happened. And, judging by the oppressive silence of the camp, neither did anyone else.

-

_ Too loud… _

_ It was all too loud. _

_ Why did things have to change? _

Every part of him was sore from sitting on the hard-packed sand of the beach, but he couldn't bring himself to go anywhere else, much less move at all. The sound of the seagulls pierced his ears, the pounding of the waves rattled his skull.

Where would he have gone anyways? He had no control over which world they traveled to. He might very well still be bound to the rest of his family-

_ Stop calling them that. _

...It felt so  _ strange  _ to be alone now. All his life Warriors had had the Hyrulian soldiers, Zelda, Lana, and now the other Heroes of Hylia. It was nothing short of second nature to call them family.

How was he supposed to cope with  _ this? _

Another dry sob escaped him at the thought. He felt bitter, but also… selfish.

Bitter at not being understood. Selfish of even having the thought.

But there was no one to talk to, no shoulder to lean on. His world was far, far away, not only in distance but in time.

He wondered if he'd be allowed to go back, or if he'd continue to be tied to the other heroes, always bound to return to them.

He wondered if he'd already severed those ties, and he was fated to be lost in an unfamiliar land.

The dam broke and he began to cry again.

_ Just let me go home. If nothing else, just give me this. _

Warriors squeezed his eyes shut tight, and waited… waited for anything to change.

When he opened them he was met with the same ocean, tinged pink with the rising sun.

-

Warriors hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until warm hands began to shake him awake.

Groaning, he put an arm over his eyes to block out the bright morning light.

"Wake up, Link."

"Huh…?"

"Open your eyes."

The person said something else that he didn't quite catch over the pounding ocean. If he was honest, the rough sand rubbing against every part of his body was way too distracting for him to be listening, even if he could've heard the lady. 

She shook him again, more roughly this time. He ignored it once more, too tired to speak, much less move. 

That is until she slapped a small but firm hand across his face.

"Ow! Watch it!"

"Finally!" The lady groaned. "You're going to get washed out with the tide if you stay here any longer! Why don't you come inside and let grandma make you some soup?"

_ That sounds pretty nice. _

So, with a shiver and a stumble, Warriors brought himself to his feet.

Wind's grandma, as he now realized her to be, smiled warmly at him. "There you go, darling. Come along now, my house is just down the shore…"

Warriors was still rather stiff, so it took longer than it should have to make it to the warmth of the beach house. But Wind's grandma was patient, and did not hustle him, even as the approaching storm drew closer.

When he finally collapsed on the padded chair by the fire, it was like the Golden Goddesses themselves had come down to bless him.

Warriors must've fallen asleep again, because when he opened his eyes, the fire was lit and a bowl of soup was gently steaming on the side table.

He wondered if Wind's grandma would be so kind to him if she knew what he'd done.

_ Speak of the devil… _

He pushed all other thoughts aside in order to give the approaching lady a friendly, albeit tired smile. She returned it in equal radiance as she stopped next to him

"I found this caught in a bush," she murmured. "I saw you wearing it earlier, so I'll assume you'll want it back… sorry about the condition it's in." 

From behind her back, she pulled a royal blue scarf.  _ His  _ scarf.

And straight down the middle, almost splitting the fabric in half, was a ragged and gaping tear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Advice is given.

There was no organization to the morning. Everyone woke up at different times, if they had even fallen asleep in the first place. Wind knew that he certainly hadn't, and it showed. His hair was more frazzled than usual from resting against Sky the whole night, and he could barely keep his eyes open. But he couldn't bring himself to care. 

For a minute, he contemplated maybe going down to the beach for a swim, but soon dismissed the thought. The possibility of having to talk to… well,  _ anyone, _ was all too real. And anyways, it was kind of cold outside.

"Wind?" 

The voice barely registered in his brain, but it was enough for him to open his eyes a fraction of an inch.

What he saw, on the other hand, was enough to make his eyes go wide. Wild was holding out a bowl of what looked exactly like his grandmother's soup.

"Is that…?" Wind began. Wild nodded, a tentative smile on his face. 

"Your grandma gave me the recipe before… well, she gave me the recipe. And, I thought I'd try it? I don't know if it's going to be anywhere near as good as how she makes it, though… but I thought it might help." 

Wind smiled weakly. He doubted the soup was  _ that  _ magical, but it was very thoughtful of Wild to try. He reached out and took the bowl, bringing it in close to his chest. The warm steam enveloped him, taking the edge off the bitter morning.

It did make him feel a little better.

"Thanks, Wild."

"No problem."

Wind began taking tentative sips as Wild walked off. It wasn't exactly like how his grandma made it, but that hardly mattered. It made him think back to what Sky had said the previous night.

_ "I'll be honest though… I don't know if it was quite the right thing either. But I do know that having him stay would have only hurt us more. One way or the other, we all just need… time to heal. And maybe we'll always need more. Who knows." _

Wind felt a smile playing about his lips. Maybe… maybe they would heal, like Sky had said. One way or the other, it'd be okay.

-

Warriors awoke with a pounding headache and the taste of sand in his mouth. He took deep breaths, trying to remember where he was. The slight chill in the air and the grime in his mouth told him it was the beach, but the heat pressing against his side and the cushions on his back said he was still at Grandma's. Slowly, slowly, he cracked his eyes open. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw the familiar walls of Grandma's house. The chill, he realized, was a draft coming from the crack beneath the door. Warriors shifted closer to the crackling fireplace, attempting to escape it.

It was no use in the end, as he had to get up and pour a glass of water for himself anyways. The taste of sand just wouldn't leave his mouth. 

As soon as Warriors sat down with his cup, his mind got to work.  _ Think how cold it must be out there.  _ It told him. _ They have no cozy fireplace. Don't you think they deserve it more than you?  _

Warriors only sighed, massaging his aching temples as best he could. It was no use thinking about them. They didn't want him, and, if nothing else, he was capable of respecting that.

***

Warriors only realized how much he was sleeping in his brief moments of consciousness. Though, honestly, it was a bit of a mercy. There wasn't much else he wanted or  _ could  _ do. 

Grandma looked concerned about it, but he waved aside her worry. Every hour he spent asleep was an hour he didn't have to think about the bare skin where his scarf should have rested.

It was only when Grandma sat down next to him with a determined look on her face that he began to take her seriously.

"You need to talk to them," she stated, blunt as ever.

It took Warriors a moment to process that.

"I-"

But Grandma was already talking over him. 

"I'm not saying now, or even today, dear. Obviously you need to give them some space. But sooner or later, you guys are going to have to communicate. And that'll happen whether you like it or not," she finished with a knowing look.

Warriors did not respond. What could he have said?

Grandma sighed. "Look, you will never meet anyone like them again. Are you really willing to give them up so easily?"

"They don't want me," he snapped as soon as she'd finished.

"And you are right to respect what they wish," she fired back. "They need time to recover from what you did, and you need time to make it up to them. But the only way you'll ever be set upon that path is if you do it together."

Warriors gaped. He had not told Grandma what had happened. 

_ So how does she know? _

"Think on it," she said with finality. "Later, when all of you have rested, we shall see what happens."

And with a pat on his shoulder and a sweep of her dress, she left.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get better. For a while.

Warriors sat at the edge of the beach, watching the tide lap against his boots. Thankfully, it had warmed up since the previous day. It wasn't much, but he would take the little spark of happiness it gave him to sit in the sun, especially with the stress of thinking he'd seen Twilight walking up the path to the woods earlier.

He'd thought a lot on what Grandma has said to him in the past few hours, disrupting his usual routine of sleeping, eating, then sleeping again. Oh yes, he'd thought lots about it. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything more than think.  
Warriors knew he'd have to talk to them sooner or later, and with Grandma still giving him passive-aggressive glances, he could bet on it being the former. But each time he thought he'd convinced himself to walk the path to where he knew the others were camping, his muscles turned to molasses and he couldn't move an inch.

...Did he know they were still camping there? Did he even know they were still in this _world?_ He thought he'd seen Twilight earlier, yes. And the rest of them a few other times. But it could've easily been one of the Outset residents. He had no idea.

_So why don't you stop being paranoid and go check?_

Warriors frowned deeply at the ocean as if it had wronged him. _Just go check. Baby steps, right? You don't even have to speak to them. Just make sure they aren't gone._

It scared him to stand, right then. He didn't know what he'd do if they were gone. He couldn't even _imagine_ a future without the other Heroes.

But it was better than whatever Warriors was doing now. Which, quite frankly, wasn't anything.

So he stood, and before he could lose his nerve, began to climb the path to the darkened forest.

***

Warriors didn't remember the woods being this large, but maybe that was just him. He knew where the camp was, or at least where it should be. But he found himself stalling– looking at interesting mushrooms or watching a bug crawl across his arm– and by the time he saw the clearing through a gap in the trees it had been nearly twenty minutes since he's first set out.

He breathed deep through his nose, accepting his fate. _You don't have to talk to them,_ he repeated to himself. _You don't have to talk to them. They won't even see you. It'll be fine. It will be fine._

He took another step, snippets of the argument that had resounded here flashing through his head. It made him feel dizzy. He kept going.

Soon, he began to hear whispers through the trees. Warriors felt a warm relief settle in his stomach. They were still here. They weren't gone. Strangely enough, the relief made him feel dizzy too. He frowned a little at that, but the sight of what he suspected to be Wild walking out of the camp brought his mind away from it. He needed to go now, or else he'd be spotted. And as much as he was desperate to make up with the other Links, he knew in his heart it was too soon for them. Too soon for all of them, perhaps. 

Warriors smiled a little as he tip-toed away from the clearing. Grandma would understand. Maybe she'd be proud. _"The stress wasn't good for you, dear."_ She'd tell him. _"Just don't go spying on them, now!"_  
The thought made him laugh a little. 

It'd be okay. They all needed time, but they would heal. They _would._ They had to.

Suddenly, he stumbled on a rock buried in the ground. The dizzy feeling came back full force. Warriors groaned, pressing a hand to the headache suddenly pounding against his forehead. Vaguely, he heard a shout coming from the direction of the camp. The dreaded realization of what was happening was the last thing he felt before the world fell out from under him.

-

Wind breathed in the salty ocean air, relishing in the immense feeling of home. Things had been rough lately, sure. But they had handled rough before, and gotten through it with only a few scars to boot.  
He hoped the others felt the same as he did. But even if they didn't, the air didn't feel so oppressive anymore. So at least things were getting less tense.

There had been a lot of feelings in their makeshift camp lately. Many of them conflicting. The other Links tried to hide it, Wind knew. But he could see it in the stoniness of Wild's face, the slight grimace on Legend's lips, and the way Time's finger tapped against his knee. Wind knew how much anger and sorrow and regret and misplaced guilt was sown into the leaf-strewn earth beneath their feet.  
But it would pass. Wind knew that for sure. 

Wind knew something else, too. He knew he wanted to talk to Warriors. Maybe not today, exactly. More like the next morning, or sometime around then. And not to forgive him either, no. He still wasn't sure if he'd ever manage to do that completely. But he was sick of seeing him out of the corner of his eye when he went down for supplies. At the very least, he wasn't ready to abandon him. Whether they liked it or not, Warriors was a hero, and they needed him to fight against whatever shadows were out there. Even if they didn't forgive him, they needed him.  
Wind knew he saw it in the other's eyes. He saw it in the way the tension had dissolved this morning, too.

Wind saw a lot of things. He wondered if they realized that.

He relished the salty air one last time before sitting down for a snack. He briefly heard Wild tell them he was going hunting before he munched down on some jerky. It tasted… not the best, but he didn't care.

Wind stood once he'd finished it, and almost fell when a wave of vertigo hit him hard. A ringing started up in his ears, and he suddenly and horribly knew what was happening.

_No, not now. Not when things are so close to being better. What if Warriors doesn't come with? What if he does? What are we going to do?_

In some distant corner of Wind's mind, he could hear Hyrule shout "switching!"  
The yell echoed in his ears, and he could hear the undertone of panic in it each and every time.

_Not now,_ they were all thinking. _Not when things are so close to being better._

And with that, the world went dark.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind and Sky have a conversation.

Warriors awoke with the smell of soil in his nose. Groaning, he twisted, trying to get back on his feet. The grass was slick and cold with dew, and it left streaks of water on his clothes and skin when he eventually rose to his feet.

He blinked in the bright sun, spots of color flashing behind his eyelids. A giant tree towered in front of him, wood flecked with patches of lichen and moss. Its roots dipped in and out of the surrounding land, providing shade for a variety of mushrooms that were much too bright for him to handle at the moment.

He'd switched worlds, though to whose he had no idea. At best it proved that he wasn't trapped in Wind's, at worse… it meant the others weren't far off. 

Now that the feeling had come back to his body, Warriors began to feel the panic settle in his stomach.

It was kind of stupid, honestly. The best strategist in the Hyrulian army and he had no idea what to do. Though, he supposed his current situation was a lot different than all-out war. But that didn't make him feel much better.

Deciding for now that the best course of action was inaction, Warriors settled himself in the shadow of the giant tree and began to wait.

-

As soon as the vertigo faded, Wind was back on his feet. Everyone else was doing the same general thing, checking up on each other, organizing their gear, getting everything back into working order after the abrupt world switch. Wind would have joined them, but he just couldn't put himself through the motions. Dread had coiled around his heart, and it was all he could think about.

Eventually, there was nothing left to do, and the familiar tension began to settle like a fog.

"So…" someone said. Wind thought it was Hyrule, but he was a bit distracted at the moment. "Where are we?"

There was silence for a few moments before Sky raised his hand. 

"Mine, I think. This looks like Faron woods."

They all nodded, and then the silence was back.

The question was on all of their minds, but none of them said it.

"Do you think Warriors came with us?" Wind blurted.

More silence.

"I don't know," Twilight murmured eventually. "I… I can't see why he wouldn't have. Just because he's a backstabber doesn't mean he isn't a hero."

Wind bit his lip. He knew what he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how the rest of them would feel about it.

"I'm–" he started. Everyone turned to look at him. "I'm going to look for him. For Warriors, I mean."

Twilight grimaced. "Wind, I don't know if–"

"I'll go with him."

Twilight's mouth snapped shut. Sky was standing up, a glint of determination in his eyes. "You'll need help finding your way around. I'm coming with you."

Wind smiled weakly. "Thanks, Sky."

Legend cleared his throat. "Look, guys, I know that you…" 

He trailed off when he saw Sky glaring at him. "Legend," Sky said. "I know what he did just as well as the rest of you. But that doesn't mean he deserves to end up dead because we abandoned him."

After a moment, Legend nodded. Twilight looked like he wanted to argue, but said nothing. 

"We'll look for you if you're gone longer than an hour," Time tells them. Sky gave him a thumbs up, and then they were walking off together into the trees.

Once they were a significant distance away from the rest of the group, Wind turned to Sky.

"Why did you come with me?" he asked.

Sky frowned at him. "This isn't your world," he said simply.

Wind raised an eyebrow.

Sky looked away. "Okay! Fine. That, and… well, I wanted to talk to him. I mean, I'm pretty sure we all do. You don't really… you don't just get over stuff like what happened. You gotta communicate, y'know…?"

Sky trailed off, then took a deep breath.

"And… I feel kind of bad about how cold I was. I think that even though all that stuff he wrote was really terrible– and I'm not saying at all that he was correct in doing it– but I can at least see why he  _ did _ do it."

For a minute, all that filled the air was the sound of their footfalls and the birdsong.

"So," Wind started. "Do you think… that, uh…" he bit his lip, wondering how to continue. "Do you think the others want him back?"

Sky gave him his signature smile– somehow both gentle and reassuring. "You miss him, don't you?"

Wind huffed, but it came out sounding a little panicked. "I mean, I… that's, uh–"

Sky cut him off. "It's okay. Me too."

Then there was only the quiet crunching of grass as they walked. It wasn't an oppressive silence, just one of patient expectancy.

"I do miss him, Sky," Wind murmured. "I miss him a lot. And, I feel– gods, this is gonna sound weird. But, I feel… guilty about it? Like, he was doing such an awful thing, writing that journal and then hiding it from us, but…"

Wind looked up at Sky. He could feel his eyes pricking, but the tears didn't fall. Sky still had that smile, the one that made you want to tell him everything. Wind took a deep breath.

"But he's my brother, you know? And I love him. And I feel guilty for that."

Sky stopped walking, instead staring up into the rustling canopy of the giant tree.

"Good people do bad things all the time, Wind," he said eventually. "That doesn't mean they aren't still good people. It's okay that you miss Warriors, because he's  _ not  _ a bad person, even if he did something bad." Sky laughed a little, then. "And something really, really misguided."

Wind grinned at Sky. "Thanks. That… that makes me feel a lot better."

Then he sighed, suddenly drained. "I just… I convinced myself that I just needed  _ time _ . More time would fix it all, and then I wouldn't have to… to think about what I was feeling, 'cause it would go away if I waited.

"But I don't think that would have ever happened. I don't think we needed more time. I think we just needed to talk. But, I just couldn't convince myself to do it."

Wind stared into Sky's eyes, willing him to understand. The first hero looked thoughtful for a minute before he responded.

"I think we're all guilty of that, myself included. I told it to you in the first place, after all. And yeah, waiting and giving each other some space works sometimes, but not in our case. I should've realized that. So… sorry, I guess."

They stood there, together, listening to the breeze and the birdsong.

"One last thing, Sky."

Sky looked down at Wind. "Yeah?" he said.

"What about Twilight and Legend? They seem really angry at Warriors. Like, actually angry. Are they… I mean, do you think…?"

Sky chuckled a little. "I think Legend and Twi like to bottle up their feelings and never talk to anyone."

They both shared a small laugh at that.

"But," Sky continued. "To answer your question, yeah. I think they miss Warriors too. I'm sure we all do."

Wind nodded. "Okay. And… thanks for talking to me, Sky. You're really good at this whole emotions thing."

Sky laughed again. "It's no problem, Wind. You're pretty good at it yourself. I just wish everyone else was, too. Then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."

They started walking again, searching for their missing number. The air between them was a little somber, full of things they wished they'd done.

Silently, Wind slipped his hand into Sky's.

_ At least we're doing them now. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People talk. There's hope again.

It wasn't until twenty minutes after Warriors had deciding to wait that he heard a rustling that sent his heart racing. He tensed, preparing himself for the possibility of it being another hero. But what emerged from the bushes wasn't another Link, or even a Hylian for that matter. It was short, round, and smelled like tree bark and saplings. It chirped a little as it walked on its stubby legs, making Warriors smile a little, even in the midst of everything.

The creature hadn't seemed to notice him, so Warriors tried to stay quiet as it foraged through the grass. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite help himself when it fell over while searching a patch of mushrooms. Warriors snorted, and almost immediately the creature squealed and vanished. He froze for a moment, then frowned, crawling over to the spot to look closer. No... it hadn't vanished. It was just camouflaged. Warriors smiled a little at its timidness.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

Slowly, the bush on its back furled inward, and it stood up.

"Who are you?" It twittered. "I don't think I've seen you around before,  _ kikwi? _ "

"I haven't been here before," he said. "Call me Warriors, though."

The air tinkled as it laughed. "Funny name! Okay though. I'm Erla, by the way."

Warriors nodded as Erla tottered over to him. "Say…" he started casually. "You wouldn't have happened to see a group of about eight or so people around here, would you?"

Erla nodded, or at least as much as a creature without a neck could. "Yeah! There's a bunch of them just down the path. They looked kind of scary though, so I didn't talk to them. But Link was with them, so I guess they must be okay. You kind of remind me of him, actually."

Warriors smiled, though it was a little sad.  _ Sky must love these guys.  _

"Thanks," he said eventually. "That's all. It was nice meeting you."

"Okay!" Erla chirped. "Goodbye,  _ kikwi! _ "

Warriors sighed as he watched it vanish into the bushes. So… the rest of them weren't far off. Hell, he could get up and walk to them now, if he wanted to, and it'd barely take two minutes. But the fear that he'd held in him since he'd fled their camp that day was still coiled deep inside him.

He sighed again, then scooted back to the warm patch of grass where he'd been sitting. He'd keep waiting, though it frustrated him to no end.

He didn't want to wait. He wanted things to go back to how they'd been.

But that wasn't going to happen. Not on its own.

Warriors started as he heard another rustling just past the bushes. He looked up curiously, wondering if it was another one of the plant creatures.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw the familiar flash of a bright blue tunic. The smell of saltwater rolled over him, not doing anything to dissuade the pounding in his ears.

"Hey Warriors," Wind said, a small but hopeful smile on his face. "I wanted to talk to you."

-

It had been a while since Wind and Sky had first set out to search for Warriors, but already Wind felt more hopeful. He knew that behind every tree and mushroom patch was the possibility of finding their captain, and Sky's hand wrapped around his own only reassured him of that.

Warriors was out there, and they'd find him, no matter what it took.

Suddenly, Wind's foot caught and he stumbled. Sky made a noise of surprise at the sudden imbalance. 

"Are you alright?" he asked. Wind nodded.

"Yeah, just tripped on… what is that?

It looked just like a small bush, but it was trembling slightly. When Wind put his fingers to it, it was warm. 

"I think it's alive," he muttered. Sky crouched beside him, looking down at whatever it was.

"Oh!" Sky said suddenly. "It's a Kikwi!"

Softly, Sky brushed his fingers against the Kikwi's fur. "It's okay," he murmured. "You can come out."

Slowly, the creature got to its feet.

"Link?" It twittered. "I haven't talked to you in ages!" It went in for a hug, which was a little difficult with such tiny arms. But Sky accepted it anyway. "It's nice to see you too," Sky said. "But I'm afraid we have something important to do. Have you seen someone wearing a blue scarf around? He looks a little like me–"

The Kikwi interrupted with a loud cheep. "I have! I just talked to him! He wasn't wearing any scarf though."

Wind frowned a little. It was unusual that Warriors would be caught dead without his scarf. But nonetheless, Wind was mostly relieved that he was at least in the area. 

"Can you show us where he is?" he asked. The Kikwi nodded vigorously, then turned with a bounce. 

"Just follow me!" It called.

Wind turned to Sky and slipped his hand back into his. Sky smiled, and they both followed their guide into the brush.

***

"He's just through here!" the Kikwi said in a conspiratorial whisper. Wind squeezed Sky's hand to get his attention. The first hero glanced at him, his head cocked slightly.

"I think you should go back to the camp. Tell the others I found him," Wind murmured.

Sky's mouth parted slightly, and it was a couple seconds before he responded.

"Why?" He asked simply.

Wind bit his lip. "Well, you weren't really… the nicest to him when we… uh, you know. And, well–"

He sighed, giving himself a moment to think. "And I want to talk to him alone."

Sky's confusion cleared up instantly, replaced with a gentle understanding. He placed one hand on Wind's shoulder. The weight was warm and comforting. 

"Okay," was all he said. "I'll see you soon."

Then he vanished back into the green, leaving only the fading warmth of his hand.

-

"I wanted to talk to you."

Warriors was frozen. The gentle sunlight no longer seemed warm, and was much too bright. Wind was here.  _ Wind. _

_ Why, why, why? _

He didn't even look angry. He was just smiling gently, the way Sky always did.

And he  _ wanted  _ to talk to him. Why?

Wind must've seen the panic in his eyes, as his expression grew a little more concerned. Silently, the ocean hero tread over to where Warriors was sat and plopped down next to him, not too close to be suffocating, but not too far as to seem distant.

"I've missed you," he said. It felt like a dream. Wind waited a beat, maybe hoping Warriors would respond. When he did not, his expression grew a little tighter. "I think that you should come back to us," he continued, taking the blunt approach. "This whole… waiting and not talking to each other thing isn't helping us at all."

Wind was fully silent after that, patiently awaiting Warriors' reply.

"I–" Warriors choked out. "I just thought…"

He tried to steady his breathing, with minimal results. "I just thought after what happened… that you all wouldn't want to see me for… I don't know. A long time. Ever."

Wind looked thoughtful. "I thought you might say something like that," he said. "And, I guess it isn't really a baseless assumption. But Warriors, you've got to understand…"

Hesitantly, Wind put a hand on Warriors', testing for a reaction. When he didn't flinch, Wind began again.

"You've got to understand, we need you, Warriors. Goddess, it's been awful without you." He gave a bitter laugh. "It just isn't the same when you're not with us. And yeah, you've done some not so great things, but one bad thing doesn't immediately mean you're irredeemable. You can be better. We can  _ help  _ you be better. Whatever happened to you that made you write that stuff…"

Wind's eyes in that moment were so full of hope, so full of something Warriors had thought he'd lost.

"We can work past it. Together. So… will you come back?"

Warriors eyes were burning, but that didn't stop him. 

"Yes," he rasped. "Of course."

Wind grinned, the blinding, joyful one that made Warriors wonder how he could've ever once lived without it. Without another word Wind dove into a hug, one so tight he could barely breath. 

But he didn't care. Finally, things were getting better.  _ Finally,  _ there was hope again.

Finally, he was going home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Hey. Sorry for the wait! A bunch of stuff came up and I was working on other projects and then there was like, a pandemic? And between all of that I kind of lost motivation for working on this. But! It's back now babey! This chapter is pretty short but I can guarantee there will be more soon! Enjoy, and stay healthy!
> 
> Edit: You will also notice I have decided on 12 chapters. I originally planned for this fic to be a lot longer, but ultimately decided that I didn't have the will to write all that. I love this fic, but it is how it is. Next chapter will be the big confrontation, and the one after that will be the epilogue.

The walk back to the camp felt like something straight out of a dream. The sunlight plated the leaves with honey-like light that shimmered against the green. Mushrooms and fungus that matched the color of the lichen coated the giant tree in patches and clusters. Unfamiliar birds twittered and sang in the highest branches of the canopy.

And Wind… Wind walked just ahead of him, occasionally glancing back to make sure Warriors was following. 

It felt like waking up after passing out, like someone else is piloting your body, like there's a gap where you should've been...

...and what just happened isn't quite computing.

But Warriors kept walking anyway, not seeing the golden light or the birds that looked and sung like paradise. Only seeing Wind. Only seeing the way the cerulean fabric of his tunic twisted slightly in the subtle breeze.

He wished he could time travel, like Sky or Time did. Go back and try and convince himself he wasn't dumb enough to make the same mistake again. But despite everything, despite the world-hopping and the evil shadows and the impossibility of more than one of yourself, it seemed to be the only thing out of his reach.

So he sighed to himself, and kept walking, dreading the moment he'd step into camp and see the faces he knew he'd betrayed.

Wind glanced back at him, apparently noticing his discomfort.

“Warriors,” he said. “It’s okay to be nervous, yeah?”

Warriors bit his lip. 

“I know,” he muttered, rolling a stray rock beneath his boot. “I just-”

In a sudden fit of anger he threw his hands into the air. “I was so stupid! All that righteous bullshit about how I had been ‘betrayed before,’ or whatever. But I was the one writing _detailed plans_ to _kill_ everyone! And I just thought that was fine!”

Warriors sat down on the leaf covering with a huff, rubbing a sleeve across his eyes. “I t-thought it was _justified.”_

He choked, fresh tears rising in his eyes. “I thought I was right,” he finished lamely.

Wind gave him a sad smile. In some part of his mind that was divorced from the situation, he thought of Sky.

“Oh, Warriors,” Wind said. He sat down next to him, cerulean tunic contrasting sharply with the matte tones of the leaves. The boy picked one of them up, rolling it between his fingers until it crumbled. “Maybe I don’t understand what was going through your mind. Maybe I can’t say why you did it, or why you thought you were right. But I can say with certainty that people don’t always act rationally. And especially with everything all of us have been through…”

Wind gave a slight laugh, eyes still focused on the remains of the leaf in his hands. “Well, it’s pretty much a given. And when we get back, there’s going to be a lot of work to do. A lot of trust to regain. But those bridges aren’t burned, no matter what they say.”

Suddenly, Wind looked straight into his eyes. The sea blue mixed with the light into something almost electric.

“And, Warriors- I want you to know that I think you can do it. You’re strong. You’re my _brother._ And if nothing else… I, well, I-”

Wind dropped the leaf. Warriors watched as it slowly drifted to the earth.

“I forgive you, okay?”

Warriors couldn’t speak. His throat was clogged and his lungs felt too small. All he could do was stare as salty tears slipped silently down his cheeks.

Wind put a hand on top of his, the simple gesture enough to say everything.

Eventually, he managed to choke out a sentence.

“When did you get so mature?” he asked, a small smile in his voice.

Wind grinned. “Somewhere between my sister getting kidnapped and going on a trans-dimensional road trip with other versions of myself.”

Absurdly, Warriors began to laugh. He had almost forgotten what it felt like in the past few days. And soon enough, Wind’s giggles mixed in with his. The problem wasn’t gone. There was still tears and anger and guilt in the future. But right now, he felt happy. Right now, there was hope.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome home.

“I’m going to run ahead and tell them that you’re coming, okay?”

Wind waited for Warriors’ nod before turning and dashing into the woods. The camp wasn’t far off. Soon, they could sort everything out and it would all be okay. Frantically, he pushed his way through the undergrowth, not even caring as the thorns pulled the threads of his tunic.

Finally, Wind emerged into the clearing where he knew the camp lay. In the brief moment before everyone’s faces turned to him, he glimpsed the tension pulling each of their features taught.

Sky spoke first.

“You’re back,” he remarked. “Is…?”

“Yeah,” he said breathlessly. “I just wanted to give you all a… heads up, I guess.”

Wind glanced around nervously, searching for any sort of confirmation or acknowledgement. When it didn’t come, he sucked a breath through his teeth. “Okay then… I’ll just bring him on over, if that’s alright?”

No one said anything, so he took that as a yes. Wind turned on his heel, dashing back the way he had come. When he made his way back to Warriors, he found the Captain sitting on the earth, making lines with his finger in the dirt.

“Ready?” he asked.

Warriors laughed softly.

“No. But…”

He stood, gesturing towards the camp. “Lead the way,” he said.

For the third time, Wind trekked through the path of crushed plant stems and broken branches that pointed the way to the other Links. Strangely, it seemed to take twice as long. He wasn’t quite sure if he was grateful or not.

By the time they reached the camp, Wind felt like he was moving through some kind of dream. He saw the staring faces, the emotions battling in each heroes’ eyes. But it wasn’t quite processing the way it should.

“Um, hi.”

Wind was pulled out of his trance at Warriors’ tense greeting. He jerked his head towards the other Links. Sky gave a small wave, but that was it.

Warriors laughed nervously. “I- uh, guess I have some explaining to do, huh?”

The Captain took a deep breath in, and with his exhale the words came pouring out.

“I just wanted to start off with: I’m sorry. Really. And while I know I can’t erase everything that happened with an apology, I hope it’s at least a start. I…” he paused to take a breath. “What I did was wrong, and I see that now. What happened to me before was clouding my judgement. I know all of you would never turn against me. And… I hope that we can move on from this mistake and maybe… go back to how things used to be, before all this.”

The sun was beginning to set at this point. Warriors’ words didn’t ring through the clearing as they had that day, muffled as they were by the wooden calls of the bullfrogs and the soft chirping of the crickets in the grass.

“What about Wind?”

Wind jumped in surprise at the mention of his name. He glanced up, seeing Legend taking a step towards Warriors, anger in his eyes.

“Wind had a page, but you burned it. What happened? You had the decency to get rid of his, but not ours?”

Warriors gaped. “I- I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?!” Legend spat. “What did you expect to accomplish? Did you think you were just gonna spout some bullshit about how ‘your mind is clear now’ and expect us to forgive you?”

“I didn’t expect you to forgive me, I just wanted-”

Legend shoved him in the shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards. 

“What _do_ you want, Warriors? A hug and a kiss? Cause I hate to break it to you, but _you fucked up!”_

Water pooled in Warriors’ eyes as he spoke. “I know, I’m sorry-”

Legend slammed a fist against a tree, sending leaves fluttering down. “That’s not enough! You are _not_ just gonna waltz in here, pretend that you’re sorry, and have everything back to how it was! Cause, newsflash buddy, things aren’t _ever_ gonna go back to normal!”

Legend let out a breath, his energy suddenly gone. He sat down next to Hyrule, eyes cast towards the earth.

“How do you expect us to trust you when you can’t even do the same for us?”

Hyrule put a hand on Legend’s shoulder. Legend leaned into it, not seeming to care about anything more Warriors had to say.

Wind wrung his hands nervously. _This isn’t going well…_

Warriors didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. He stood there, mouth open, half shadowed by the fading light. Wind began to say something. He didn’t know what he was hoping to accomplish. But before he could even get a word in, Twilight stood.

“Warriors,” he began gruffly. “I… I know I was short with you when… we first found out about all of this. But…” The brunette clenched his fists, and spit the next words out like thorns. “I think I might’ve just been seeing black and white. Sky was talking to me before you came, and he said some things that really made sense.” 

Sky smiled gently.

“I think that maybe we didn’t react in the best way-”

Wild intervened. 

“Didn’t react in the best way? _Honestly,_ Twilight?” he said coldly. “I thought you were on my side with this.”

Twilight looked anywhere but at Wild. “We shouldn't be making sides…” he said quietly.

“No.” Wild stood and stepped in front of Warriors, bringing his face close to the Captain’s. “Get out,” he spat.

Warriors took a step back, fear in his eyes. Wind looked desperately at Sky, looking for help, support, _anything._ But Sky only shook his head, mouthing something Wind couldn’t understand.

Wind looked back at Wild. Four had appeared at his side, whispering something to him and tugging on his arm. As the two silently fought, Warriors managed to speak again.

“I-I know what I did was wrong, and all of your reactions are justified. I… I’ll leave if you want me to. I understand.”

It was Time who spoke now. 

“Don’t leave,” he said, sounding uncharacteristically emotional. He gripped the hem of his tunic tight. “I- Warriors, we fought together. I know what happened. Why… Why didn’t you just talk to me? You didn’t have to do this. I just… don’t get it.”

Warriors shook his head frantically.

“I swear, it's not you, Time! It’s my fault, I messed up! I trust you, really.”

Time looked away. “Do you, though? You didn’t tell me. You didn’t tell Wind. You didn’t tell anybody. If I had known that what happened was still bothering you, I could’ve helped. None of this had to happen, and yet it did.”

“Time…”

“No,” he said, voice suddenly cold. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Four had finally succeeded in getting Wild to sit down. The multi-colored hero turned, out of breath, to say his piece. Wind waited anxiously. 

“Warriors,” he started. “I… really don’t quite know what to think here. I want to forgive you, I want to kick you out. I hate you and I miss you. And… I think that maybe if it’s both, it should be neither. I… I think you should stay. I’m not forgiving you. I’m not accepting you. But I think you deserve a chance.”

Twilight jumped in.

“You aren’t irredeemable because you did one bad thing.”

Wind looked to Sky, remembering what he had said to him before. The blond hero gave a wink.

The clearing was silent. Wild was frowning deeply, staring at Twilight with a strange mix of emotions. Legend was still leaning into Hyrule, but he was biting his lip, fingers rubbing circles onto his skin. Hyrule gave Legend a tap, and the other hero reluctantly pulled away.

Hyrule stood to say his part.

“I looked up to you a lot, Warriors. I admired your skill and your charm. I guess I should’ve realized that nobody’s perfect, though. People mess up, and they don’t always know how to fix it. Not on their own, at least.”

Hyrule breathed deep, and spoke his next words loud. “We can help, though. We don’t have to like it-” he gave a glance towards Legend and Wild. “You don’t have to explain what happened that made you do it-” another look, towards Time. “But you deserve to have help, no matter what.”

Hyrule smiled nervously at the other heroes, then sat back down next to Legend. The pink-haired hero whispered something in the other’s ear, then stood.

“Look, Warriors,” he began. “I may want to burn your shit-eating face off, but ‘Rule’s got a good point. And… I’ll admit, I missed you as much as I hated you while you were gone. Things ain’t gonna go back to normal, not after that stunt. But I know you. You have a good heart and… I guess I didn’t want to see that there was obviously some stuff you weren’t over that made you think things that weren’t true. Hell knows we all probably have something like that,” he said with a bitter laugh. “But,” Legend walked forward then, pushing his and Warrior’s faces so close they almost touched. “I’ll have you know that if you ever pull shit like that again, I will personally rip each one of your fingers out of their sockets.”

Warriors nodded rapidly, taking a few steps back. “Of course.”

Wind looked around. No one else seemed to want to say anything more, except…

Wild piped up from his seat against a tree.

“I’m not gonna say sorry for what I said,” he growled. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that sorry doesn’t help anyone. You can stay with us. We’ll help you. I… well, I want to help you. But you have work to do, okay? A lot of work. It’s gonna be awhile before any of us trust you again, no matter what it seems like.” He gave a pointed glance towards Sky and Wind. “But I won’t stop you from staying.” He crossed his legs, apparently finished.

Wind looked up to Warriors. The other hero had a watery smile on his face.

“Thank you,” he said. “I… Just, thank you.”

Finally, Sky stood.

“Well, I think it’s about time we all went to sleep,” he said. “It’s been a long week.”

-

Wind shuffled quietly out of his sleeping bag. Keeping his footfalls quiet, he made his way up to where Sky was keeping watch.

“Sky?” he whispered.

The gentle hero turned to him, patting the ground next to where he sat. Wind stepped over and took a seat.

“What is it?” Sky said.

Wind sighed. “Well, I wanted to ask… I’m glad that Warriors is back, of course but…” he bit his lip nervously. “But everyone said some really mean things. If you had spoken, I’m sure you could’ve convinced them before… everything got out of hand.”

Sky stared up at the clouds. It seemed the skies were never fully clear in his Hyrule.

“I didn’t say anything because it had to happen. We’ve all been ruminating on a lot of thoughts, and they had to get it out eventually. If they didn’t it would just lead to more conflict later on. And, well…” he smiled sadly. “Warriors needs to learn that there are real consequences to what he did.”

Wind nodded, running his hands across the dew-coated grass.

“Where is the journal, anyways?”

Sky thought for a moment. “Legend has it. Think he was planning on burning it, or something.”

Wind laughed a little. “That’s a good idea, actually. We should do that.”

Sky ruffled his hair. “That's something for tomorrow,” he laughed. “We don’t have to solve everything in one night. Now go get some sleep. You need it.”

Wind nodded and stood, brushing specks of moisture from his skin. He returned to his sleeping bag, setting inside the warmth. Sleep came swiftly. 

He dreamed of stars and clouds that night.

-

The next morning rose late. Nine heroes stood in a circle, surrounding a roaring fire. One of them, with deep blue eyes and clean blond hair, stepped forward, a book in his hands. With one small motion, he tossed it into the red of the flames. All of them watched at the pages curled and blackened, the words becoming unrecognisable.

The last remains of the paper rose with the smoke, flying higher and higher. Abruptly, they were caught by the wind. Whipped by the currents of the air, they flew over the treetops, going farther and farther. Then, suddenly, they vanished into the horizon, and were gone.


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning and the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is- we've finally made it! Thank you so so much to everyone who's read this, I'm really honored you all liked it so much! But in all seriousness, it really has been a great ride. I hope you all enjoy this epilogue, and thank you once again!

“Alright, let’s stop for a bit.”

Time’s voice rang out from the front of their line. Warriors set down his pack, relieved to finally be taking a break. They had switched to Twilight's world a little over a week ago. He thought it was quite a nice place, but there was something lingering just beneath the earth that made him too wary to get comfortable. The fields were lovely, though. Sunny with a cool breeze, firm but soft grass, and… _interesting_ insects.

Warriors settled beneath one of the sparse trees at the edge of where the others had sat down. He still thought (and was likely right) that they wouldn’t want him intruding much. But they seemed happy enough when he could keep his distance, and were even beginning to warm up a bit more. 

Warriors breathed in some of the cool air, smiling slightly at the refreshing tang. His eyes were just starting to slip shut when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He sat up, slightly confused, and blinked a few times. A pair of ocean blue eyes eventually came into focus.

“Hey, Warriors,” Wind said.

Warriors smiled in greeting. “What’s up?”

Wind averted his eyes. “Well… I had a gift for you. Kind of. I mean, I only- well, I wanted to give it to you.”

Warriors smile wilted. “Oh- Wind, you don’t have to. I really don’t want to intrude-”

“No, it’s okay,” he said softly. “I want you to have it.”

Warriors released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Without further comment, Wind pulled something out from behind his back. It was a long, royal blue strip of fabric-

“My scarf…”

Warriors lifted the scarf from Wind’s hands reverently, rubbing his fingers along the smooth fabric. 

“I saw that it was ripped, so I asked Wild to teach me how to sew. It took me a while to get it right, but…”

Warriors dragged his thumb along the deep blue stitching. He hadn't even noticed it before Wind pointed it out.

“I-It’s perfect… I don’t know what to say.”

Wind grinned ear to ear before grabbing the scarf and draping it around Warriors’ neck. He pulled his hands away hesitantly.

“Um… I also added a little something. I hope you don’t mind.”

Warriors searched along the length of the scarf, eventually finding the addition right above the end of the fabric, where yellow met deep blue. It was a single word, sewn in with a caution and preciseness Warriors instantly admired. 

“It says ‘Fiducia.’ It means trust, in the old tongue. I thought, maybe, it could be like… a reminder, for you. That I trust you, and you trust us.”

Warriors felt tears sting his eyes. He let them fall. He didn’t care. Launching himself at Wind, he pulled the other hero into a deep hug.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you.”

Far, far away, in both distance and time, flecks of ash settled upon a river’s water. They drifted slowly down, eventually becoming caught on the banks. There they rotted, turning to soil. And as the weather warmed and the rain fell, the tree above blossomed.

-Fin-


End file.
